Out of the Woodwork
by KittykatMC
Summary: Seven year old Jamie is having issues with a bully at school and it's up to his sixteen year old big brother Danny to come out of the woodwork and deal with it - Reagan style! One-shot.


**Author's Note:**Okay so I'm taking a break from my assignment and decided to scribble down this short story about a moment in Jamie's childhood. (This story genuinely happened - my Mum did this to a bully of my Uncle's when he was a kid) so the idea was there and it just seemed too good not to use - but I put my own Reagan twist on it. So read it and tell me what you think!

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><p><strong>Out of the Woodwork<strong>

_**September 30th 1990**_

"Come on kid move it! We all gotta get to school too!" Sixteen year old Danny Reagan grumbled as he shuffled his seven year old brother along the pathway leading up to his school. Fifteen year old Erin held on to Jamie's other hand while thirteen year old Joe, dawdled carelessly behind them. Jamie hung back anxiously.

"I don't want to go to school today," He mumbled shyly.

"Well, neither do I but we all have to do things we don't want to do, that's just life," Danny huffed as he tugged his brother along. "Now come on!"

"Are you not feeling well?" Erin asked in concern.

Jamie cast a sideways glance at the sliver car parked right opposite the school and it set his mouth into a thin line. Danny noticed and slowed down. He looked at the car and back at his brother, putting two and two together.

"What's the matter?" Erin asked in alarm.

"Kid…" He said slowly, his eyes narrowing, "Is that Teddy Durbridge in there?"

"The kid who threw his ice-cream at you yesterday?" Joe asked with wide eyes as they darted from Jamie to the car as he remembered Erin and his mother trying to wipe it out of Jamie's hair the night before.

Jamie nodded shamefully. "Yes that's Teddy's car."

"Isn't he older than you?" Erin asked quizzically.

"Yes," Jamie muttered. "He's one of the big boys. And he has a lot of big friends."

"Jamie what do they do to you?" Erin asked sharply.

Jamie sighed. "They – They say mean things. And he calls me a golden boy like you but he says it in a mean way."

"Does he now?" Danny asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes. And he always trips me up in front of people so they think I'm clumsy and they laugh at me!" Jamie moaned.

"Is that right?" Danny breathed in quiet fury.

Jamie nodded again. "But it's okay Danny. I'm used to it."

"Yeah but I'm not!" Danny growled, his eyes still glaring at the car with intense dislike.

"And I can't believe you are!" Joe rounded on Jamie. "I thought you always told us everything!"

"It's all right Joe. I don't mind!" Jamie replied quickly.

"You don't mi – Are you hearing this?" Joe shot out at Danny incredulously. But Danny wasn't listening, his brow was furrowed and he was breathing heavily.

"Uh-oh he's in full bodyguard mode," Erin sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"Wait here I'll be right back," He ordered firmly before marching up to the car.

"Erin what's he gonna do?" Jamie whimpered.

"Ssh, it's all right Jamie, he's just gonna sort it out for you," Erin soothed.

Danny strolled up to the silver car where Teddy Durbridge and his father were conversing. Danny casually tapped the window. Teddy's father looked up in surprise to see the tall sixteen year old leaning down at him. Danny smiled pleasantly and mimed for him to roll his window down which he did swiftly.

"Thanks Mr D." Danny nodded at Teddy in the passenger seat. "Hey Teddy, I'm Danny Reagan, I think you know my kid brother? Jamie? You do know him right? You…eat ice-cream together…?" Danny said in a falsely sweet voice. Teddy went bright red, chewed his lip nervously and sunk down lower in his seat.

"Can I help you kid?" Mr Durbridge asked in hesitation.

"Actually yes, I have a favour to ask you in which you could be a big help." Danny answered innocently.

"Oh?" Mr Durbridge raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah I was wondering if you could just have a word with your son and tell him to keep his damn hands off my kid brother." Danny replied in such a fiercely calm voice Mr Durbridge actually recoiled.

"Excuse me?" He sputtered. "Look kid I don't know if this is some kind of a practical joke you and your friends have cooked up here but let me tell you right now -"

"It's no joke," Danny stated simply. He pointed at Teddy who had sunk even lower in his seat, his face reddening. "Your precious son and his knuckle dragging buddies have sorta been bullying my kid brother, you know, the usual, calling him names, tossing ice-cream in his face, tripping him up in the hallway and that's probably just the trifecta. It's nothing personal against you it's just - when people upset my family it tends to wind me up a tad, that's all."

"Hey what do you want me to do about it huh? Boys will be boys," Mr Durbridge said with shrug.

Danny jabbed his thumb in Jamie's direction while nodding in mock understanding, "Yes, yes they will Mr D, but _your_ boy along with a bunch of _other_ boys is hurting _that_ boy and I," He pointed to himself, "Don't like it. Do you - Can you see where I'm going with this?"

"Well I can talk to him till I'm blue in the face but it won't make a blind bit of difference, the kid does what he wants," Mr Durbridge responded with indifference.

Danny nodded in a calm fury, "Okay," He said evenly, "Well in that case I guess we'll just have to take it up with the school Principal whom I'm sure you know has a very strict zero tolerance bullying policy on the school – especially when it's a ten year old picking on a seven year old. I mean forgive my persistence, it's just my family are cops." Mr Durbridge swallowed hard. Danny, pretending as if he hadn't noticed, carried on in a composed voice, "So yeah, we're just crazy like that whenever -"

"Okay look, look," Mr Durbridge interrupted. "I'll talk to my son and I promise he'll never bother your little brother ever again."

"That's all I ask." Danny shook his hand without invitation. "You know it's good to know there is some decency left in the world!" He said in a tone smothered with sarcasm. Danny waved to Teddy who was so hunched over in his seat it looked like he wanted to fall into it. "See ya Teddy. You be a good boy now." Danny stalked away from the car, with his hands thrust in his pockets, letting his tranquil exterior slip away to reveal the full extent of his frustration. He reached his siblings who were waiting for him where he had left them.

"So how'd it go Officer Reagan?" Erin asked with a knowing smile.

"Better than I expected," Danny answered truthfully.

"It looked like you were stopping him for speeding!" Erin laughed.

Danny chuckled darkly, "Yeah if only..."

"What did you say to him Danny?" Jamie asked nervously.

"More like what did you do?" Joe added in quiet awe.

"Danny?" Jamie pressed. "What happened?"

Danny smiled wryly and ruffled his kid brother's hair. "Don't you worry kid. I don't think Teddy Durbridge is gonna bother you ever again."

And he never did.


End file.
